They say in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. This is exactly what is happening to William Ruto a one-time strong friend to President Uhuru Kenyatta. Ruto is no longer that friend who pops into statehouse to see the president whenever he feels like thanks to the March 2018 handshake.
A child who was born when the two would appear before the verandas of Statehouse grinning from ear to ear, hugging each other and even donning similar attires that suggested a shared ideological and not just sartorial state- is still teething, barely out of the potty.
Ruto is now faced between both the devil and the deep blue- sea. His continued defiance has seen State House direct that he makes prior appointments whenever he wants to see Uhuru Kenyatta.
In contrast, the deputy president’s foes such as Raila Odinga and Gideon Moi have unbridled access to State House any time, be it day or at night. Sources say that the move to have Ruto notify his visits is aimed at controlling activities and avoid the embarrassment of Ruto having to bump into Raila or Gideon or some of his political enemies that are now very close to Uhuru in State House.
During Uhuru’s first term in office when Lawrence Lenayapa was State House Comptroller, the deputy president used to call him to inquire on who was waiting to see the president. If the DP learned that his detractor was either waiting to see the president or was in the head of the state’s office, he would rush to State House and enter the venue of the meeting unannounced.
Lenayapa who was believed to be Ruto’s insider at State House where he was in charge of the president’s diary was dropped following accusations of frustrating Uhuru’s allies from accessing the president besides tipping Ruto on who was scheduled to meet the president.
Among those he was accused of having blocked from the presidential audience included former cabinet minister Joseph Nyaga, who would later resign as an adviser of the president and politician Tarayia Koros who later decamped to ODM.
Nyagah had led a delegation to see the president but they were denied audience. It was in response to the outcry from Uhuru’s allies that he recruited defeated Nakuru governor Kinuthia Mbugua.
Lenayapa was later dispatched to the Netherlands as Kenya’s envoy. Ruto began to feel the heat once Mbugua took charge of the president’s diary and even took over some of the roles that were played by Jomo Gecaga, the head of state’s private secretary.
The frosty relationship between the two has played into the public gallery with the president openly praising Raila following their handshake while indirectly also rebuking his assistant.
The chemistry between the two has deteriorated with Ruto at one time forced to cut short his Nyeri trip after it emerged that county leaders had gone to meet Uhuru without his knowledge.
To further complicate matters for the DP, the Interior Ministry has been withdrawn security from some of the functions attended by Ruto.